Bobby Sherman Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
The title track is not to be confused with the Ritchie Cordell tune with which Tommy James & the Shondells hit the Top 20 in 1967; this Roger Atkins/ Helen Millercomposition was the theme to Bobby Sherman's short-lived television show of the same name, Getting Together. The team of producer Ward Sylvester and engineer Dick Bogert are back behind Sherman and they do a great job. Paul Williams' "Tired Soul" is a delightful slice of bubblegum gospel with Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff overtones. Despite the absence of Top 40 hits, Getting Together stands as an album that proves Sherman could have easily slipped into adult contemporary -- and really should have. The Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway/Tony Macaulay song "Blame It on the Pony Express" is first rate; those three having contributed to many a pop hit, the Cook/Greenaway classic "You've Got Your Troubles" for the Fortunes just one example of their greatness. With contributions from Peter Allen, Carole Bayer Sager, Alan O'Day, and others, the Metromedia label really dropped the ball with this one. Geared toward Sherman's TV audience, the album has a circular cardboard wheel with the teen idol's photos fitting neatly into the TV cut out on the LP cover. It's a sophisticated work for middle-of-the-road adults in a package aimed at teenage girls. Getting Together should have been a rebirth for Sherman, but that's the music biz. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Bobby Sherman's last two chart songs of the seven that entered the Top 40 between 1969-1971 appeared on Portrait of Bobby, a pink gatefold album with an easel to cut out and assemble, along with an offer to join the Bobby Sherman fan club. "Cried Like a Baby" was not the Box Tops hit from 1978 -- that was actually "Cry Like a Baby." This tune was composed by legendary singer/songwriter Paul Williams, along with Craig Doerge. Though it did enter the Top 20, Sherman's radio power was on the wane and this title lacked the irresistible and immediate charm of a "Julie Do Ya Love Me." The Top 30 entry from May 1971, "The Drum" was written by Alan O'Day, author of the brilliant "Heavy Church" for Three Dog Night. "The Drum" is an interesting Harry Betts/Bobby Sherman arrangement, borrowing heavily from the style with which Tony Orlando was finding success. Ward Sylvester's production is slick and actually quite realized. Sherman's voice is better than on previous albums, the television star finally finding a groove after years of effort, having recorded a bunch of singles before "Little Woman" finally hit for him in 1969. Bill Holman's arrangement of "Step My Way" would also be perfect for Tony Orlando & Dawn, specifically that group's 1973 underrated epic New Ragtime Follies. It's top-notch bubblegum/sunshine pop, though, for non-believers, the material can get overbearing. "I'm in a Tree," from the musical production Prettybelle, veers off into adult contemporary, though a bit too cutely. Sherman does a monologue about the fire department and saving a cat stuck in a tree -- humorous for the people who know about his real-life transformation from teen idol to EMT. It's too bad the singer didn't make the jump into the middle-of-the-road world that was just starting to become extremely popular -- the Carpenters and Helen Reddy enjoyed hits from the pens of those who created Sherman's popular songs on this release. It is also a shame producer Sylvester didn't recruit a Lesley Gore or Brenda Lee to step in and duet with the star -- some outside influences would have enhanced this interesting episode. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Containing two of his best-known songs, With Love, Bobby has "Julie Do Ya Love Me" opening side one and "Hey Mister Sun" doing the honors on side two. This album features eight of the 11 tracks found on 1969's Bobby Sherman disc also released on Metromedia with three different titles -- "Sweet Gingerbread Man," "I'll Never Let You Go," and "Hey, Mister Sun" in place of John Sebastian's "She's a Lady," "Easy Come, Easy Go," and the Atkins/Miller title "Spend Some Time Lovin' Me" found on the earlier disc. Ten of the 11 tracks come in under three minutes with one, "Message to My Brother," at 3:20. For his fans in the day, this was quite a nice package with a huge, eight-page "Scrapbook Album" of photos from age 1 to the singer's mid-twenties, including momentos like his certificate of membership in the Los Angeles Junior Fire Department. The music might have been manufactured soley for the teen idol's audience, and it was quite annoying to rockers and critics during Sherman's heyday, but some things change with time and the final track here, "Good for Each Other" co-written by producer Jackie Mills and arranger/conductor extraordinaire Al Capps, is as good as any of Sherman's hits. Leafing through the gatefold LP and its insert, one realizes how much fun full-length albums were compared to the condensed imagery found on compact discs. And there's no denying "Julie Do Ya Love Me" and "Hey, Mister Sun" are pop classics. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Buoyed by the pop smash "Easy Come, Easy Go," Here Comes Bobby is one of Bobby Sherman's more engaging LPs. In other words, it's still bubblegum, but its flavor is long-lasting. Credit contributions from top-drawer songwriters including John Sebastian ("She's a Lady") and the team of Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann ("Make Your Own Kind of Music"), which elevate Sherman above the teen idol norm. The singer also contributes two of his own originals, "July Seventeen" and "Two Blind Minds," and proves himself a capable and lively songwriter. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
